BOSTON (WHDH) - Harvard University’s Class of 2023 received words of inspiration from a man known for delivering such lines as “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks was in Boston this week to deliver the commencement address at Harvard’s graduation ceremony Thursday morning.
The star of films such as “Forest Gump,” “The Green Mile,” and “Toy Story” was spotted shaking hands and taking selfies with graduates before the ceremony.
“I don’t know much about Latin, I have no real passion for enzymes, and public global policy is something I scan in the newspaper just before I do the Wordle – and yet here I am,” Hanks joked during his speech.
According to the university, Hanks was chosen for his contributions to American culture and for getting people to appreciate stories and history.
For nearly 30 minutes, the star spoke about community, responsibility, and the role the students have to play in society post-graduation.
“Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made – it’s the same option for all grown-ups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans – those who embrace liberty and freedom for all, those who won’t, or those who are indifferent. Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible,” Hanks said. “The others get in the way. In the never-ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe and how vociferously you promote and how tightly you hold to the truth that is self-evident. That of course, we are all created equally, yet differently and of course, we are all in this together. If we do the work, justice and the American way are within our grasp no matter our gender, our faith, our station, our heritage or genetic makeup, the shade and hue of our flesh or the continental birthplace of our ancestors.”
Hanks received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the university, as well as other gifts that included a volleyball inspired by his role in the movie “Cast Away.”
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